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BY MICHAEL HAYMAN, THE COURIER-JOURNAL  A tractor-trailer carrying a hazardous pesticide overturned yesterday on Interstate 71 near the Snyder Freeway, backing up rush-hour traffic.

A tractor-trailer tipped over on Interstate 71 near the Snyder Freeway in eastern Jefferson County yesterday afternoon, causing its load of pesticide to leak and backing up southbound traffic for miles.

The truck lay on its side at rush hour while authorities made plans to handle the diazinon, a liquid pesticide, that had spilled from damaged containers inside the truck, Harrods Creek Fire Chief Chris Aponte said.

There were no evacuations, he said.

The truck had been traveling south on I-71 when the driver tried to exit on a curving ramp leading to the southbound lanes of the Snyder. It crashed about halfway along the ramp between 1:30 and 2p.m., Aponte said.

Jefferson County police dispatchers said Kentucky State Police closed I-71 southbound between Campbellsburg and Jefferson County. The highway was reopened by 5p.m., although the ramp remained closed into last night. After the crash, southbound I-71 was backed up into Oldham County, Aponte said.

Officials were trying to determine the cause of crash.

Diazinon is one of the most widely used chemicals for household and agricultural pest control, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In concentrated form, it can endanger people who don't take precautions, according to the EPA's Web site.

Aponte said the spilled pesticide, a reddish liquid, had leaked from plastic containers in concentrations strong enough to require all emergency workers to be stationed several hundred feet from the crash. "Within a certain radius, a hot zone, you have an exposure problem," Aponte said. "You have the potential of having respiratory issues."

He said it was unclear exactly how much had spilled, but each of the 11 plastic barrels inside the truck had ruptured. Each barrel contained 250 or 350 gallons of the pesticide.

But none of the liquid had spilled from the truck, he said.

The truck's destination was unclear. It appeared to be owned by BSX Trucking, but it could not be determined where the company was based.

More than 50 emergency workers from Hazardous Materials, the Worthington Fire Department, Anchorage and Jefferson County Emergency Management Services, Louisville Metro Health Department, Metropolitan Sewer District, Harrods Creek Fire Department and the Louisville Metro Police Department were at the scene.

Red Cross workers also were on hand to provide meals and support for the emergency teams.

Earlier yesterday, a tanker leaked 100 gallons of diesel fuel along eight miles of roads in the Harrods Creek area.

The truck may have been damaged when it ran over debris as the driver turned around in a gravel area along U.S.42 between 10:30 and 11a.m., Aponte said.

Unaware of the leak, the driver headed east on U.S.42, south on Ky.841 and south on I-71 before realizing that most of the load was gone, Aponte said.

Officials closed the emergency lane of I-71 to clean up the greasy trail of diesel, he said.

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